In 1981, the Reagan administration in the USA tried to cl... | funfact.wiki | funfact.wiki
In 1981, the Reagan administration in the USA tried to classify ketchup as a vegetable to meet school lunch nutritional standards after cutting budgets. The backlash slogan "Is ketchup a vegetable?" became so powerful that the policy was reversed.
The word 'ketchup' comes from '膎汁' (kôe-chiap) in the Chinese Min Nan dialect, meaning 'fish sauce.' It was originally a fermented fish and shellfish sauce—tomato ketchup was not invented until 1812.
The term 'spam mail' comes from Monty Python's comedy sketch 'Spam.' During World War II, the US supplied massive amounts of SPAM cans to Britain, and the Brits' frustration inspired the sketch. The name later stuck to annoying promotional emails.